780 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT, I907-I908. 



the Board of Agriculture, reported* that canker worms were 

 abundant in some localities during the season and caused con- 

 siderable damage. 



Again in 1896, canker worms were abundant in the southern 

 part of the state, and the writer published a short articlef giving 

 a brief description of the two species and recommending treat- 

 ment. The fall canker worm was the more prevalent, and was 

 responsible for most of the injury about the station grounds, 

 though the spring species was present in apple orchards of the 

 state. 



From 1896, canker worms were present and caused damage to 

 trees until 1900, when they became scarce at the station, so that 

 it was difficult to find specimens. Their absence continued until 

 the auttmin of 1907, when adult males were noticed to be quite 

 numerous, and early in the summer of 1908 orchard and shade 

 trees in the southern part of the state were ravaged. During the 

 season this office received four samples of canker worms and 

 twenty-three letters regarding their work. The elm trees of New 

 Haven were attacked and the leaves generally eaten, but most 

 people attributed the injury wholly to the elm leaf beetle, which 

 was also present in serious numbers. Canker worms even attacked 

 privet hedges in some localities and defoliated portions of them. 

 Though none of the trees on the station grounds were sprayed, 

 the damage was sufficient to warrant the expense of banding the 

 trees, and this was done in October. 



A postal card bulletin was issued by this station, about October 

 1st, calling attention to the prevalence and injury of the canker 

 worm and giving information about applying the sticky bands. 



Life History. 



The adults of the fall species appear during the warm days 

 of November and December, often occurring in great nimibers 

 on foggy days during a thaw after the ground has been frozen. 

 In 1908, the first females were observed around the bands October 

 28th, and from that time on they increased in abimdance, being 

 more in evidence than the males up to November 20th, when the 

 males were apparently much in preponderance. Many eggs were 



* Report Conn. Board of Agriculture for 1884, p. 290. 

 t Report Conn. Agr. ExpL Station for 1896, p. 234. 



